Amazing yet so heavy. Ms Hannah can write a compelling novel and I couldn't stop reading this one despite the heartrending story.

Frances (Frankie) says goodbye to her brother when he ships out to Vietnam. A recent RN graduate, Frankie decides to enlist so as to see her brother during part of his tour. The story encompasses her experiences as a US Army nurse, during and after the war.

I don’t want to share more (spoilers) and will only add that I'm glad I had the opportunity to read an advance copy of The Women because I learned a lot about the women who served in the Vietnam war.

And I strongly recommend The Women.



Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the DRC

I've enjoyed many of Kristin Hannah's books and was looking forward to her latest release. I enjoy reading historical fiction books but have not read many that were set during the Vietnam War. This one did not disappoint.

Frankie McGrath joins that army medical unit to follow her brother Finley to Vietnam. When Frankie arrives there she initially has a hard time adjusting to the realities of her placement. Frankie had images of what she thought her work would entail, but the reality was more than she was prepared for. Initially, Frankie spends time in the Neuro unit working on her clinical skills until she gets acclimated and then transfers back into the surgical unit. While spending time in the E.R. unit Frankie works her way up in the rankings and finds herself transferred to a more dangerous area that is in the middle of the fighting. Here Frankie is determined to help save those she can and to offer a hand to hold for those who can't be saved.

During her time in Vietnam Frankie makes lifelong friends in Ethel and Barb, fellow nurses and bunkmates. It was nice to see the friendships and bonds that were formed between Frankie and her fellow veterans. Frankie also formed a friendship with Jamie, an army surgeon, who helped Frankies learn some surgical skills that helped Frankie further her nursing skills.

After Frankie serves her time and returns home, she is met by a country that has disgust and disdain for the returning veterans. At home Frankie struggles to adapt back into society and suffers with symptoms of PTSD. An angering issue is when Frankie seeks help from the V.A. office, she is continually met with the response "women weren't in Vietnam". Frankie goes through some tough years after her return and tries to find a way to make it through. I liked that Frankie kept in touch with Barb and Ethel and they were there to help her through some of her darkest moments. As time passes Frankie finds a way to heal and help fellow women veterans cope with their time in Vietnam and to be recognized.

An interesting look into the Vietnam war and helps shed a light to honor the women that also served in this war but are often forgotten. It also shed a light on the sad reality of how our veterans were treated upon their return. An enjoyable read that has the harsh realities of war and the struggles when you return home.

Kristin Hannah does not disappoint yet again. The idea behind the story was captivating as I had never given a second thought to women veterans, especially at a time when women were still fighting for their rights. The twists and turns kept me intrigued the whole time and though it was depressing at times there was a beautifully happy, realistic ending. Loved every second of it!

A powerful and informative historical novel about the women who served in the Vietnam war. You feel like you are there with the nurses and what they went through in those jungles….. rain , mud, dampness, blood, and guts. They were so dedicated. More importantly, what they faced and the problems they had when they got home. Kristen Hannah writes so beautifully. She developed the main character with all the twists, and turns that you would expect from one of her novels. An excellent read-5 stars!

After more than two decades of knowing she wanted to write about the women who served in Vietnam but were denied their recognition let alone their existence there, Kristen Hannah created a tour de force novel that further demonstrates her brilliance.

The book goes from the idealism of youth, the realism of war, the devastation of the survivors to the rocky path forward. It will have you laughing, crying, grieving, angry, sad, rooting for the underdog, cursing the betrayers, believing in the power of friendships and family and putting you through an emotional wringer that will, I believe, leave you a better, more compassionate person.

The book opens with Frankie McGrath, a recent nursing school graduate and good girl raised in Coronado Beach, California, whose destiny was to become a wife and mother like the women in the country club set around her. In her father’s den there was a hero’s wall of their male ancestors who fought in service of their country. Her brother, her best friend, instilled withe the family credo of service, has just graduated from Annapolis and is about to be sent to Vietnam. At a Fourth of July going away party, her brother’s friend tells her women can be heroes too. This sentiment drives Frankie to enlist and follow her brother to Vietnam.

On her first day in country, assigned to an evac hospital, Frankie meets her lifelong friends Ethel and Barb and is thrust into the first of many MASCAL, mass casualty situations. Not having experienced nor around trauma, Frankie is thrust feet first into the fire. After the event, the staff let go in the officers’ bunker,aka, club. There Frankie meets a doctor who will also be another of her friends. The mayhem, trauma and madness continue but Frankie becomes an outstanding, compassionate nurse. She corresponds with her mother downplaying the horrors while requesting care packages of shampoo, See’s chocolates and perfume so that the patients can experience the scents of home.

After this harrowing but extremely rewarding experience, Frankie returns home to a divided America where she is spit on, called names and not believed about her service. Her family, too, gives her a cold reception and refuses to talk about the time she spent in Vietnam. Frankie must deal with the aftermath. Her friends Barb and Ethel are always there for her unlike the government that denied her help.

The book deals with so many issues that these women of valor faced from emotional, psychological, and physical trauma to issues with family, friends, employers, strangers, activists, government. While this is a single story, it is universal and will stay with you forever. A MUST READ.

Thank you St. Marten’s press and NetGalley for this egalley. All opinions are my own.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I have read a bunch about the Vietnam War, it always a topic that interest me since my uncle served in the war. This is the first time I have seen woman as the feature of the book and I am all for it. I learned some interesting and rather disturbing facts about the Vietnam War in this book. While this is a work of historical fiction, it is a book that I will not forget anytime soon. I highly recommend reading this book, but keep tissue handy and know that this is not a light and fluffy read.

Wow! This needs to be on everyone's to read list! Once I started I did not want this novel to end. I read way past bedtime and picked it up immediately when I got up. Such a powerful story with the full range of emotions- joy, sadness, tears, sorrow.
Kristin Hannah brought light to The Women of Vietnam whose story of sacrifice has been largely forgotten and overlooked. In a beautiful and poignant way Ms. Hannah brings us through the battles, the coming home, and the surviving after. Spanning the 60s-80s, this is a testament to a generation and a story that must be told. Amazing!

I was sent a copy of this book from a publisher/publicity team/giveaway. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

Whenever Kristin Hannah comes out with a new book, I will jump on it! I just love her. The Women was a book that made me feel so many different emotions: sadness, anger, love, loss, and more.

This is told in two parts. Part one was hard to read at times, but was very descriptive of some of the combat wounds/deaths during Vietnam War. I loved the characters and how they come together over everything. I also loved the love stories that were added during this section.

Section two is when this slowed down for me. I just did not love this part as much. However; we get more of what it is like after war in this section and I did appreciate these areas. I was not a fan of how either romance turned out.

I think my emotions were higher reading this since I was reading it during the recovery from a Hurricane in my town. We had no power and this made me appreciate what we did have and try to come complain too much for what we were currently going through.

I shed a few tears with this one as well. Even though I did not love the second half, this was still a great read and I would still recommend it.

It wasn't until the beginning of this year that the Vietnam War peaked my interest. My father in law served in the U.S. Navy during this war. I had no idea about the stereotypes and criticism Americans gave the service men of our country for serving and fighting in Vietnam.

Kristin Hannah's book, The Women, was an excellent picture into the war that was fought. She writes a story that shows the hardship on the battle field, plus what Americans were fighting amongst themselves on American soil at the same time. This book follows the women that were a part of this war, without any recognition. They weren't seen as heroes, nor were the men at this time. It then goes into the years after the war and tells about the struggles of the service members upon their return.

In addition to the history, there is a love story that runs deep. The whole book was as wonderful as Hannah's other books.

#NetGalley #KristinHannah #TheWomen #VietnamWar #WarNurses #ArmyNurses #HistoricalFiction #Fiction #VietnamFiction #Women #Heroes #War #USArmy

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced digital copy of this book.
As with all of Hannah's book the story and characters drew me in that i forgot at times the story was fiction. Ive always heard about how hard it was for Vietnam Vets and their return especially, but you never really hear the woman's struggles and side of the story. I enjoyed this book with all the ups and downs and would recommend it to friends because yes women can be heros too.

Kristin Hannah does it again! The Women tells the story of Frankie McGrath, her time in the Vietnam War, and her struggles returning home to a country and family that did not receive her back with a warm welcome. The story of Frankie McGrath is one that hasn’t been told many times before and is impactful and crucial in remembering what veterans, especially women veterans, of Vietnam went through during the war and returning. This history is not one that is often talked about, and the war is one that people prefer to forget.

This is also a story about grief and about love…and not just love in the typical sense. The importance of the love of female friendships that sees Frances through is impactful and beautiful. The complicated familial love from Frances’ parents is something that Frances grapples with throughout the whole story. Frances’ learned love for herself and her story drives her to reach outside of herself and find her passion and meaning in life.

In true Kristin Hannah form, make sure you have a box of tissues and some time as you won’t want to put this down as soon as it starts.

Kristen Hannah this book rocked me. The layers and range of feelings that this pulled out of me was incredible. I haven't devoured a book like this in quite a while. And while I needed to sit with the feelings, I was unable to put it down. Thank you for giving a voice to a group that didn't have a voice when they most needed it. Thank you for giving all of us a glimpse into this time of history from a perspective that isn't 'the norm'. I highly highly highly recommend this book be a preorder, must purchase, must clear your schedule as soon as it arrives.

I really enjoyed all the previous Kristin Hannah books I have read, so when I saw she had a new book coming out I had to read it. This is the first book I have ever read about Vietnam. Frankie’s character was written beautifully. Her and her friends went through so much together during the war and afterwards. The story was so touching and it will stay with me for a long time. I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of historical fiction and war stories.

Thank you Netgalley and St.Martin’s Press for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first Kristin Hannah book and I can see why her books are so popular! I enjoyed this book overall, although I don’t usually enjoy books that center around past wars.
I did enjoy her writing style and how she gets you into the story right away! I also like how she developed the characters.
Overall I will definitely give her another chance.

Absolutely the BEST book I've read in a very long time, undoubtedly will be a top rated book in 2024. Publication date is 06 Feb 2024, I would guess that this one will be a top seller for the majority of the year. And it should be!

Frankie's brother is an officer and heading off to Vietnam. Her father has a wall of honor for the men in the family that have served in the military. Frankie is bummed that as a woman she'll never have a place of honor on the family's wall. Frankie investigates the various branches of military service until she finds one that will accept her nursing experience and signs up to serve as a nurse in Vietnam.

I don't want to provide any spoilers in The Women. But Kristin Hannah does a perfect job in writing The Women. It has been a while since a character has held my heart the way Frankie has.

I'm not rounding. The Women is a solid 5 star book.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for approving my NetGalley request for the a advance read copy of The Women ... in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to NetGalley for this opportunity.

Good premise and characters. But a bit over-the-top, leans too much toward mawkish romance.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Kristin Hannah, and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy of The Women. I received an advanced reader copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was one heck of an emotional roller coaster. The plot was well developed and the characters were fantastic. It did feel a little too drawn out but definitely worth the read.

Kristin Hannah is an amazing author who focuses on little known women who have lived in not so common historical times. Usually in historical fiction, there are so many set during WWI that the market is saturated. Here though, Hannah takes on Vietnam, not a popular time in U.S. history and difficult to understand. Highlighted in this story are the nurses who served those in combat, putting their own lives at risk. Little has been made known about women in Vietnam as many denied that women were even in Vietnam. This is the story of Frankie (Frances), a California society girl from a prominent family in the 60s. Missing her brother who enlisted to serve in Vietnam, she too enlisted in the Army Nurse Corps hoping to make her patriotic father proud and put her picture on his hero wall. However, she received the opposite reaction. Frankie learns upon landing in Vietnam that she is naive and innocent about the war as she is thrust into the work of helping young heavily wounded men. Thrown into the same circumstances, Frankie bonds with the other nurses who become her sisters and the men who are doctors. Her biggest asset is her compassion for others. The descriptions of war, of the wounded, of the fighting are quite detailed and heart-wrenching. How frustrating the propaganda put out by the government that was a disservice to those serving our country. Frankie learns everybody leaves, one way of the other. When her tour is done, upon returning home Frankie is shamed, greeted with animosity and ignorance by others, especially her parents. Everyone wanted to deny and forget the war as if it didn’t exist. To survive, Frankie must bury deep her memories and nightmares of the war, but she barely survives. Thank goodness for her nurse “sisters” Barb and Ethel. But as Frankie seeks help, she is denied with the mantra of “women were not in Vietnam”. Dealing with trauma (PTSD, we would say today), Frankie flounders until she hits rock bottom before she can find herself again and heal. I found this book fascinating and eye-opening as I was just a youth during this time. But how could we as a country treat those patriotic young men and women who risked their lives supporting the American ideals of freedom, equality, and honor like we did? As Frankie wrote in her journal, “It’s hard to see clearly when the world is angry and divided and you’re being lied to.” Those were turbulent times both politically and socially. This story is mesmerizing, thought-provoking, and I admit, I fell apart at the end weeping openly. Hannah is that good when she develops her characters that she makes you the reader feel along with them on their journeys, the joys and the sorrows. I did not want it to end and yet I wanted a happily ever after ending. Not so, but there is hope and satisfaction. We hear Hannah’s voice through Frankie, that there is a story to tell about the women who contributed in the war and it begins with three simple words, “We were there.” What a shame that it took so long to be able to truly welcome those who served home and honor them. I can’t say enough about how great this book is, I highly recommend you read it.
Many thanks to #netgalley #kristinhannah #thewomen #stmartinspress for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Another 5 star read from Kristin Hannah. She never lets me down with her talented and unique writing style that always hits me in the feels. Highly recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of The Women by Kristin Hannah.
Unfortunately, I'm feel that I am going to be in the minority with this review. I loved other books by Hannah, but this one did not work for me. I felt that the characters were two dimensional, many of the war scenes were descriptive to the point of sensationalism, and the predictable romances were unnecessary. Overall, the book felt contrived and rushed.